Cooley: McCoy to be RGIII's Long-Term Back-Up

All diehard Redskins fans, and even the not-so-diehard ones, know the situation that has been around RGIII and Kirk Cousins since they were selected in the same draft a few years ago.  Anytime RGIII makes a mistake, a vocal group of fans want to see Cousins.  If RGIII gets hurt, Cousins should be the starter forever.  Fans that don't want to see a QB run want Cousins.  Fans that resent what was given up to acquire RGIII and just don't like him for some reason want Cousins.  And despite the commonly accepted fact that RGIII is and probably always will be a better NFL QB than Cousins, this issue that some fans want Cousins to be the Redskins QB just won't go away.  Well Chris Cooley may have just made it go away.

The latest flare-up came after some writer from New England made a comment that Cousins outperformed RGIII during a couple Redskins-Patriots joint practices.  So naturally, we should start Cousins, right?  Well it seems some people always think so.  So, according to Dan Steinberg at The Washington Post, Cooley decided to ask the people around Redskin Park, you know, the people who's opinions actually matter, what they thought about the whole QB situation.  The responses he got are very interesting.

According to what Cooley heard from people in the Redskins organization, Colt McCoy was signed to be RGIII's primary back-up for the foreseeable future.  But what about our beloved Kirk Cousins?  Well, it appears he's not going to be a Redskin for long.

Look, everybody likes Kirk Cousins.  He seems to be a great guy and decent QB.  All Redskins fans should wish him nothing but the best wherever he goes (unless it's Dallas, Philly, or New York, of course).  But the current regime in Washington is just set on RGIII as the QB.  Cousins isn't the guy.  He's not going to start for Washington as long as RGIII is here.  Plain and simple.

Cooley seems to think that Cousins has been shopped this offseason.  Why's he still on the team?  Well, apparently the team didn't like the offers.  I guess he could be traded at any time, just like any player could be, but it would seem that Cousins will be the Redskins primary back-up QB this year.  But next year?  Well that's a different story.

Cousins wants to start.  What QB doesn't?  But the difference is Cousins has a viable chance to be a starter in this league... just not in Washington.  Many people don't want Robert feeling Cousins breathing down his neck.  They don't want Robert to constantly hear that vocal minority constantly pining for Cousins to get some PT.  So perhaps Cousins is traded.

Colt McCoy has had his time as a starter.  He was OK.  But he's not likely to be a starter ever again in the NFL.  Anywhere.  So what?  He can still be a good NFL player and a solid back-up QB.  And being a solid back-up QB in the NFL is a good gig.  It would seem that McCoy is more comfortable with that role since he's been a starter and probably realizes he won't be again.  Kirk, on the other hand, still hasn't gotten his chance and believes he deserves one.  Colt's a little older, a little more experienced, and would make for an excellent back-up QB (not that Cousins isn't).

Chris Cooley believes that McCoy has been told all this.  He's been told that he'll be the back-up for RGIII for the future.  Cooley believes RGIII has been told that that's McCoy's role on this team, too.  Kirk is good and has been good and will probably get a pretty good return in a trade for the Redskins at some point.  But Cooley is convinced that McCoy was brought here for when Cousins is gone, and that both McCoy and RGIII are aware of that.